<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>Little Moments by itsmoonpeaches</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27845377">Little Moments</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/itsmoonpeaches/pseuds/itsmoonpeaches'>itsmoonpeaches</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Avatar: Legend of Korra, Avatar: The Last Airbender</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alcohol, Alternate Universe, Dancing, Episode: s03e16 The Southern Raiders, Established Relationship, F/M, Family, Ficlet, Ficlet Collection, Fluff, Gen, Grief/Mourning, Humor, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Mentions of alcohol, Mutual Pining, Past Sokka/Yue (Avatar), Post-100 Year War (Avatar TV), Tumblr Prompt</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-02</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-05-06</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 21:34:56</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>15,418</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27845377</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/itsmoonpeaches/pseuds/itsmoonpeaches</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Aang held out his hand, stepping just behind her. He could see her posture stiffen. “Take my hand,” he said. </p><p>Katara shuddered, slumping forward. “I can’t,” she whispered, lips barely parting. </p><p>-</p><p>Or, Ficlet prompts that explore little moments in the Gaang and other characters' lives to tide you over with fluff, feelings, mini-AUs, and all around shenanigans. From Katara and Aang shorts, to their children, to Bumi II being in over his head, and more.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Aang &amp; Gyatso (Avatar), Aang &amp; Toph Beifong, Aang &amp; Toph Beifong &amp; Katara &amp; Sokka &amp; Suki &amp; Zuko, Aang &amp; Zuko (Avatar), Aang/Katara (Avatar), Katara &amp; Appa, Mai/Zuko (Avatar)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>138</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>156</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Under the Stars</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>This was originally requested by thinkingisadangerouspastime on Tumblr. Short and (hopefully) sweet, I hope you enjoy this ficlet!</p><p>Prompt: i wish you would write a fic where katara and aang dance under the stars</p><p>- </p><p>Aang held out his hand, stepping just behind her. He could see her posture stiffen. “Take my hand,” he said. </p><p>Katara shuddered, slumping forward. “I can’t,” she whispered, lips barely parting. </p><p>-</p><p>Or, Aang comforts Katara with a dance.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Katara?” Aang asked as he walked toward her shadow. His toes were soft against the dewy grass. </p><p>He watched her sitting atop the knoll that overlooked Chameleon Bay. They had camped, just the two of them, on their way to Ba Sing Se. Appa’s deep breaths filled the air, and Momo’s sleepy mutters came from somewhere in the brush. </p><p>She was a dark silhouette against the midnight velvet of the star-studded sky. Hunched over, knees pulled in close to her chest. She looked so small there, sitting by herself. Aang’s heart constricted as he came closer, as he saw the devastated look in her eyes. The moon overcast its glow upon them, highlighting her beauty and her sadness. </p><p>Aang held out his hand, stepping just behind her. He could see her posture stiffen. “Take my hand,” he said. </p><p>Katara shuddered, slumping forward. “I can’t,” she whispered, lips barely parting. “Not when it’s the anniversary. Ten years ago, today...my mother was taken away from me.”</p><p>He lowered himself near to her, face inching closer to hers. “You can,” he insisted. His breath wavered on her cheeks, and he hoped it was warm. </p><p>“I can’t. I don’t deserve to be here...not happy like this.”</p><p>But that was all Aang could take. He moved his fingers across hers, gripping them tightly. He looked at her until Katara had no choice but to meet his gaze. When she did, she gasped. Perhaps, it was because he was smiling.</p><p>“Katara,” he said, voice as gentle and soothing as he could make it, “I promise that you do deserve it. I maybe not have known her, but I’m sure she would have wanted you to be happy.”</p><p>She shook her head. “No, I—”    </p><p>“Take my hand,” he repeated. “The stars are out tonight, remember? You told me you used to stargaze with your mother. You used to sing this song together...what was it?” He tapped his chin, pretending to forget, but in a minute, he was humming the tune to Katara’s childhood lullaby.</p><p>Her lips trembled, quirking into something brighter. She took his hand and they stood up together on top of that hill. The ocean waves lapped with them as they swayed to their own music, Aang’s melody vibrating in his chest. </p><p>He wanted her to be happy, and maybe she would be just for that moment. They danced under the stars, and Katara did not shed a tear that night.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Babysitting Disasters</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Prompt: You asked for ficlet prompts, so may I humbly offer: The first (and only) time Bumi was asked to babysit his siblings while Aang and Katara were out, and what went wrong.</p>
<p>-</p>
<p>When his parents told Bumi and his siblings that they would be out for the evening for some political dinner with important dignitaries from the Earth Kingdom, it started out as an exciting affair. </p>
<p>“You’re going to eat fancy food with stuffy people!” Bumi had exclaimed, bouncing on his toes in the hallway that led to the family section of the Air Temple. “Why can’t we come?” </p>
<p>-</p>
<p>Or, Bumi is asked to babysit, and it goes about as well as you can hope.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Originally requested by justoceanmyth on Tumblr.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>When his parents told Bumi and his siblings that they would be out for the evening for some political dinner with important dignitaries from the Earth Kingdom, it started out as an exciting affair. </p>
<p>“You’re going to eat fancy food with stuffy people!” Bumi had exclaimed, bouncing on his toes in the hallway that led to the family section of the Air Temple. “Why can’t we come?” </p>
<p>Kya danced a little jig next to him, grinning widely. “Yeah, mommy, daddy! I want fancy food too!”</p>
<p>At twelve, Bumi was the oldest and therefore the sibling that nine-year-old Kya copied an inordinate amount. Not to mention—bless his tiny, unknowing soul—five-year-old Tenzin was a constant in both their shadows. The little guy could hardly tell what was up from down, and Bumi caught him running into the doors because he was too short to reach the knobs a few times. He lamented for his poor baby brother. </p>
<p>His dad leaned forward, laughing that stupid laugh of his. In Bumi’s head he called it, “the dad-is-trying-to-hide-something” laugh. Aang patted his fluffy hair, trying and failing to make the messy locks flatten. “Because you don’t want to be around crazy <em>boring </em>adults, do you?” he asked in a teasing tone.</p>
<p>Bumi shook his head, somehow mortified at the thought. “But you’re not boring!” he proclaimed. He pointed at his mom. “Mom is!”</p>
<p>Aang had laughed so hard that tears started to form at the corners of his eyes. Katara was nowhere near as amused. She had frowned and said, “Well, if you don’t want to be hanging around your <em>boring mom </em>then there should be no excuse for you not to stay here and behave! The other acolytes are here and if you need anything, they can help you. Your job is to look after your brother and sister and we are trusting you to be good, Bumi.” She glared at him, lips thinning.</p>
<p>Bumi shuddered, seeing the ice blue of her eyes. <em>Okay, so no saying mom is boring ever again,</em> he thought. </p>
<p>Aang raised an eyebrow, appraising Katara with a smile. “I think he’ll do a good job, don’t you?”</p>
<p>Katara huffed, and she was only appeased when his dad had pecked her on the cheek and told he that they would have an enjoyable, calm night. Bumi wanted to throw up. </p>
<p>“Oogies!” Kya pouted, and Bumi was inclined to agree. Little Tenzin hid behind Bumi’s leg and clung onto the fabric of his pants. </p>
<p>Katara sighed, hooking her arm into the crook of Aang’s elbow. “Well, what could go wrong?” she asked, almost to herself. “Let’s go, sweetie. Unfortunately, Sokka said he’s only attending because they’re serving too many finger foods, and he said he’s arriving early...you know what that means.”</p>
<p>“There won’t be any food left when we get there?” finished Aang.</p>
<p>“Don’t worry,” said Katara. “I told Toph to bar him from the tables if he gets past ten servings.”</p>
<p>“Oh, wonderful.”</p>
<p>His parents stepped out the doors together, formal robes swirling around them, and then the children were alone. It was at that moment that Bumi realized he had all the power in the house.</p>
<p>He placed his hands on his hips, straightening his lanky body into to something resembling a commanding officer. He tried to puff out his chest like he saw those Fire Nation military men do. He even added in a salute.</p>
<p>“Alright, cadets,” he shouted, voice echoing in the hall, “it’s time for dinner!” </p>
<p>Luckily, his parents had prepared a spread for them and even set the table so that the children would not have to. All the steamed vegetables were covered, the bowls of jasmine rice were out, the noodles were ready and plated, and there were pre-set cups of lychee juice next to each setting. Bumi was pleased to note that it looked like his dad his sliced and skinned some dragon fruit for dessert.</p>
<p>It started out fine, and Bumi was determined to keep it that way. He was planning on not making a mess because an angry mom scared the living spirits out of him and he did not need a repeat of that time he had decided that the decorative fountain in the front courtyard could double as a bath. </p>
<p>There were a few potential hiccups. Namely, Kya kept spilling wild mushroom soup all over her front, but Bumi remedied that by stuffing a napkin into the collar of her dress. The rest could come out in the wash later. At least, he hoped. The brown stain looked a little dubious. </p>
<p>Then, Tenzin started squirming in his seat for no reason. He kept scrunching up his nose, looking like a piglet. He rubbed at his nostrils, and Bumi was inclined to laugh at him. </p>
<p>“Whatcha doing there, squirt?” he asked, walking over to his brother’s side. He offered up a spoonful of stew, dangling it in front of his face. “Not liking the cooking? I’ll have you know that this isn’t sea prunes, so there’s no way you don’t like this!”</p>
<p>Tenzin struggled to reply, and Bumi thought he might in a minute, until the biggest disaster happened.</p>
<p>He sneezed.</p>
<p>Oh, but it was not just a <em>sneeze. </em>Why? Because nothing in this family could be normal, and really, Bumi should have known that something like this would happen when his parents were not around. Why not? The universe must have hated him that night.</p>
<p>The stew on the spoon flew onto the opposite wall, but it was not just the stew there that blasted to the other end, but the stew in front of Tenzin, the pot of stew that held the leftovers, every single plate on the table, all the cutlery and chopsticks, even the dragon fruit! In fact, the entire dining table was overturned.</p>
<p>To make matters worse, Tenzin sneezed again, and <em>again. </em>He rammed himself into the archway behind him, flipping his seat. Kya did not help at all. She threw the food that was already on the floor onto the other walls because she thought Tenzin was trying to have a food fight. When Tenzin sneezed a final time, Bumi was covered in squash and rice, and the glazed pottery that had been a gift from Aunt Suki had shattered into about a million pieces. </p>
<p>He did not have time to be amazed by the feat. </p>
<p>Tenzin looked absolutely miserable and started blubbering like a newborn, to which Bumi scrambled to comfort him. “Please, <em>please </em>stop crying! Here, have a dragon fruit!” he said frantically, waving a piece of it in the air. “C’mon!”</p>
<p>He ignored Kya who decided that waterbending the soup in wiggling circles above them was a good idea. He really should not have ignored Kya. It splashed on the three of them a moment later.</p>
<p>“Stop that! Mom is going to kill me!” Bumi shouted, still offering a piece of fruit to Tenzin whose face was covered in snot. </p>
<p>Bumi began to pace around the room, picking up pieces and chasing after Kya. Tenzin’s cries seemed to get louder.</p>
<p>It was at that moment that the doors swung open. His parents stood in the entrance, joking amongst themselves. His dad beamed and started talking to them. “Sorry we decided to come home early! It turns out that Councilman Riku was allergic to shrimp and that caused an international incident so—”</p>
<p>He cut himself off as soon as he took in the sight before him. A stunned silence formed between them. Aang blinked, opening and closing his mouth.</p>
<p>“So, um, I think Tenzin is an airbender,” said Bumi. He stood up as quickly as possible, hoping to brush off all the particles from his shirt. He knew he did not get them all. His smile was sheepish.</p>
<p>Katara started yelling. Bumi never was allowed to babysit again. </p>
<p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. A Lie and a Truth</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Prompt: For the dialogue prompt: 36 (“Tell me I’m wrong.”) &amp; 37 (“Lie to me then.”) in the same ficlet? I also want you to know that the Bumi Babysitting ficlet was *adorable* and beyond my wildest hopes.</p>
<p>-<br/>She was Katara of the Southern Water Tribe. She should not feel this way. Not ever. There were ancient rules that they had to follow, and she was breaking all of them at once.</p>
<p>Not just anyone could become a companion to the Avatar, least of all have the lingering need for him that she held in her heart. It was a matter of decorum, of class. Someone like the Avatar was too important to have trivial relationships with. </p>
<p>-</p>
<p>Or, An AU where Katara and Aang learn waterbending together in the Southern Water Tribe.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Originally requested by justoceanmyth on Tumblr.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>She was Katara of the Southern Water Tribe. She should not feel this way. Not ever. There were ancient rules that they had to follow, and she was breaking all of them at once.</p>
<p>Not just <em>anyone </em>could become a companion to the Avatar, least of all have the lingering need for him that she held in her heart. It was a matter of decorum, of class. Someone like the Avatar was too important to have trivial relationships with. </p>
<p>She was not a companion. She was a friend. Katara and Avatar Aang had been students together, learning the art of waterbending when he was fifteen and she was seventeen. She had been much more advanced than him at first, but he caught up to her in months. She should have known that Aang, who had figured out on his own that he was the Avatar a year before he was supposed to, would be talented in more than one element.</p>
<p>He had already been a prodigy with the Air Nomads, becoming a master at twelve. But they said that as he was teaching a group of acolytes an advanced form one day, he had accidentally waterbended to save one from slipping into the nearby lake after a failed attempt at producing a tornado. His life had changed after that, and he was sent from the Southern Air Temple to the Southern Water Tribe to learn with Master Ila and her students. </p>
<p>Katara remembered the first thing Avatar Aang said to her. “I’ve never seen someone bend like you,” he had wondered aloud. “You bend like it’s a dance. It’s beautiful.” </p>
<p>He complimented her often, asked her to go penguin sledding with him and the children even. She had protested at first, stating that it was an activity meant for those much younger than them.</p>
<p>“Katara, you still are a kid, and so am I,” he told her that morning with a warm grin on his face. “It doesn’t matter that we’re older. It just matters that we remember how to have fun.” </p>
<p>She took his hand after that, laughing in his wake. Snow was a shimmering white curtain around them that made his silvery eyes sparkle in the sunlight. She liked his eyes.</p>
<p>But in just a year, it was time for him to leave. She could remember how her heart plummeted. It was like a part of herself was about to disappear. He had become her best friend in a short amount of time. They had become waterbending masters together.</p>
<p>Master Ila had become his companion. She traveled with him to the Earth Kingdom to learn from Master Hong, and then the Fire Nation to learn with Master Yuzuki. </p>
<p>In the two years that it took for him to travel the world to master the remaining elements, she and Aang wrote to each other. They saw each other on occasion. This was when he came to visit a dignitary from the Northern Water Tribe that had come to visit Katara’s home. Her older brother, Sokka, often came to greet him. Their father was considered a leader after all, but he was not as important as the chief. </p>
<p>At twenty, she was considered a little older than the marriable age which in the Southern Water Tribe was eighteen. Hahn asked her a few times for her hand. He was persistent and annoying.</p>
<p>“C’mon, you’re the most talented bender of our tribe! You and I would be a match made in the Spirit World!” he had exclaimed in front of her door. “With me being the best warrior and your bending, you would be the perfect wife!”</p>
<p>Katara admitted that she indulged the idea for a little bit. She had gone on a few dates, but Hahn was too self-absorbed. All he cared about was how he looked to the leaders and elders. He did not respect her, nor did he see her as an equal. He insisted that she have five children for him, that she cook for him every day, that she change her job from a combat teacher to a healer. She had the ability to heal, of course, and she was unique in being the only combat waterbender in the tribe who could also heal. However, her skills were too dynamic to save for one facet of her abilities, and the masters knew it too.</p>
<p>“I need to be respected, Hahn,” she told him as she walked away. She ignored him after that.</p>
<p>She could not help but imagine what it would be like to spend her life with someone else, someone who cared for her because of who she was and not <em>what </em>she was. When she saw the other men of her tribe on their knees at her feet, offering her family dowries of unimaginable worth, she wanted to see someone else there. Someone who brought her laughter and comfort, who knew her better than she knew herself. </p>
<p>It was his eyes she saw, the silver of a storm cloud. How he could make her smile with the easiest joke, a nudge to her shoulder. His kind words of “You’re the best of us,” and “There is no one else like you.”</p>
<p>So, when she heard the news, she was crushed under the unforgiving high tide. He was coming to the Southern Water Tribe to see his betrothed, they said in whispers that reached her ears on shards of ice.  </p>
<p>He arrived past midnight, and for some reason she heard his flying bison land before she was out her door. She had to see him, had to know. Tears prickled at her eyes.</p>
<p>She ran into his chest with a <em>thud </em>that hurt her insides more than her throbbing head. </p>
<p>“Tell me I’m wrong,” she begged, gripping the orange and yellow of his Air Nomad robes. “Tell me you’re not coming here to marry.” </p>
<p>She wondered for a moment who the lucky person was. Were they someone she knew? Was it the beautiful Umi, or the handsome Toklo? Was it someone else entirely? She felt bitterness and jealousy spurn in her gut, a feeling she was unfamiliar with. She hated herself for it. She hated herself for feeling this, for wanting someone she could not have. Most of all, she hated herself for figuring out that she loved him too late.</p>
<p>Katara saw him tilt his head downwards. There were flurries stuck on his dark eyelashes. He was taller than when she had last seen him. </p>
<p>“I can’t tell you that,” he breathed. </p>
<p>Puffs of soft air brushed against her cheeks. She shuddered, closing her eyes tightly. She could not look at him as she pulled away, could not let him see the heartbreak in her eyes. “Lie to me then,” she trembled, failing to keep her voice steady. She could feel the heat buildup in her eyes. </p>
<p>“Okay,” he said, words carrying in the wind. “I hate you. I haven’t come here to ask you if you want to marry me.” </p>
<p>Katara quaked, hugging herself. The tears were scorching as they flowed. Then, she felt his arms around her, and she had the courage to look at him.</p>
<p>“Did you hear what I said?” he intoned with a gentle tenor. “I just lied to you.” </p>
<p>It was then that Katara realized what he had told her. She stared at him, shocked. Her lips parted as she tried to respond. His face came closer to hers, so close that his lips threatened to touch hers. </p>
<p>“Will you marry me, Master Katara?” he murmured. His gaze never wavered. </p>
<p>She gulped, panic settling in. “I’m not important enough to marry the Avatar,” she responded without hesitation. Years of this thought were difficult to quash.</p>
<p>“You are important,” he said to her. “To me. Even if the world thinks you aren’t, they should. You’re you, and I can only hope to be your equal.” </p>
<p>Katara thought that she could stand to break a few more rules. She asked him to kiss her. </p>
<p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Pickled Fish</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Prompt: Hi! For the ficlet prompts, can I ask for Kataang kids talking to the moon spirit at the Spirit Oasis because she's Uncle Sokka's first love and just the kids ratting him out to her?</p>
<p>-</p>
<p>“Are you sure this is a good idea?” asked Tenzin with a timid whisper. He propelled himself forward, using airbending tactics to produce minimal disturbances on to the powdery snow.</p>
<p>“Oh, don’t be such a pentapus, Tenzy,” replied Kya, scoffing. </p>
<p>-</p>
<p>Or, Kya, Bumi, and Tenzin stir up trouble in the Spirit Oasis.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Originally requested by an anonymous user as an ask on Tumblr.</p>
<p>Another note: I will get to your requests for ficlets when I can get to them! For those of you that requested on Ao3, I still will write them. However, I am getting more requests than I anticipated, and it's getting hard to keep track of them if they aren't in one place! From now on, if you would like to request a prompt, please send it as an ask on my Tumblr which is also itsmoonpeaches. Thanks for understanding guys!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Are you sure this is a good idea?” asked Tenzin with a timid whisper. He propelled himself forward, using airbending tactics to produce minimal disturbances on to the powdery snow.</p>
<p>“Oh, don’t be such a pentapus, Tenzy,” replied Kya, scoffing. She skirted around yet another ice pillar, glancing from side to side. They had to make sure that no one caught them after all. </p>
<p>“Yeah, <em>Tenzy,” </em>snickered his older brother, Bumi. He followed close behind. “Dad is always telling you to lighten up. Aren’t you a full-fledged master now?”</p>
<p>Tenzin felt rather put off by that comment. He rushed forward, making sure to make no other noises. “I’m eight!” he exclaimed.</p>
<p>“I’m fifteen,” mocked Bumi. “What’s your deal?”</p>
<p>Kya swiveled around to hush them, and Tenzin was pierced with his sister’s intimidating frosty glare. “Will you two shut up? Who cares how old you are? Tenzy is a baby, and we have to deal with it!”</p>
<p>Tenzin pouted and Bumi sniggered under his breath. It was not that he was <em>scared </em>or a <em>baby, </em>per se, but he did think it was a terrible thing to try to sneak into the Northern Water Tribe’s Spirit Oasis. Incredibly stupid. But being the youngest meant that he really did not have any say in the matter.</p>
<p>He thought about how they got there. A political visit with the aging Chief Arnook brought the Avatar and his friends together, but that also meant that their children were prone to finding themselves in dumb situations. If Izumi were there, Tenzin would have been relieved because she usually kept them in line. Lin and Suyin were stuck in Republic City. Aunt Toph did not do well with being forced to wear footwear.</p>
<p>When the three of them had heard from Aunt Suki that the Moon Spirit was Uncle Sokka’s first girlfriend, they had taken it as some sort of ridiculous joke. Until, of course, both their parents confirmed that it was true. Tenzin claimed that it had to be fake because there was no way that the majestic, beautiful, Moon Spirit would ever date a mortal.</p>
<p>So where did this bring them? Kya wanted to know the truth, and she always got what she wanted. She devised a plan in which they would go to the Spirit Oasis to make sure. They would spew little known facts about their uncle to the while koi fish that their dad who happened to be the bridge between the Spirit World and the material worlds, had insisted was the Moon Spirit. (“She used to be Princess Yue, you know. She saved us all when she became one with the koi fish!”) </p>
<p>It sounded far-fetched, even to a kid. Alternatively, Aang might not have explained things as well as he should have. Tenzin learned to just accept things as they were. </p>
<p>“Look,” whispered Kya, crouching behind a decorative pot. “We’re here and there’s no guards! Let’s check it out!”</p>
<p>Tenzin groaned as Bumi unhinged the round, wooden door. They slipped inside without incident. He gasped when he realized it was suddenly so warm. There was grass in the middle of the North Pole!</p>
<p>Surrounding them were sheer cliffs of ice and stone, but it was as if they were standing in a park in the summer. He could see the gray, cloudy sky above them. It was contrasted by the greenery and the waterfall that cascaded into the streams that surrounded a tiny island with an archway. A pond sat in the center of it.</p>
<p>Kya was already next to it, staring at the circling blobs in the pond. Bumi grabbed Tenzin by the arm and tugged him along.</p>
<p>“It’s the koi fish!” she grinned, pointing at the white fish with a black spot on its head and its counterpart. “This must be her!”</p>
<p>Tenzin dipped to the ground next to her, blinking. “Uncle Sokka dated a fish?” he asked incredulously.</p>
<p>“No, you dumby!” said Kya. “It’s the physical form of the Moon Spirit!” She laid flat on the ground, pressing her nose so close to the water that she almost touched it. “Hey, Princess Yue, if you’re there, did you know that Uncle Sokka can sleep through eight straight hours of meetings? Mom and dad told me.”</p>
<p>Bumi joined in. “Did you know that Uncle Sokka once ate a whole fruit pie in exactly forty-three seconds? I was there! I timed it! Fire Lord Zuko had to ask if he was okay.”</p>
<p>Alright, it was a little funny. Tenzin was eager to add something else. “Great Moon Spirit,” he started, eyes never leaving the lithe white fish as it swam in its eternal dance with the black koi, “Uncle Sokka lied when he said there are goblin spirits that come out at night to eat little boys’ teeth when they don’t brush.”</p>
<p>All of a sudden, the strangest thing occurred. The white fish began to glow. A wispy sliver of <em>something </em>slithered from it. Tenzin and his siblings started to panic and yell.</p>
<p>Someone burst into the Spirit Oasis, slamming the door wide open. “What are you kids doing here?” the man shouted. “This is a sacred area!” He waved a water whip at them.</p>
<p>Tenzin shrieked as Kya and Bumi yanked him up. He thought he could see the glimmering silhouette of a woman just beyond the crack of the door as it clicked shut. </p>
<p>“Uncle Sokka thinks your breath smells like pickled fish!” called Bumi over his shoulder. </p>
<p>Tenzin blasted them in the air, and the three of them screeched in terror as they landed in a pile of furs on a merchant’s cart just below the chief’s palace. When he looked up, he grimaced. There were about a dozen more guards staring them down. They were going to be in so much trouble.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Hearth</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Prompt: Prompt: For the dialogue prompts, number 10 ("Come here.") pretty please!!!!! (And idk if this can qualify as a request, but could it be a Gyatso and Aang fic? I adore how you write their relationship😭)</p>
<p>-</p>
<p>Aang did not know what to do, what to say, how to act. Everything was so different now. He tried to deny it to the Council of Elders, but Monk Tashi had confirmed it when he had declared, “You chose them from among thousands of toys, Aang. The toys you picked were the four Avatar relics. These items belonged to Avatars past. Your own past lives.”</p>
<p>Somehow, Aang knew in his heart, his very spirit, that he was telling the truth.</p>
<p>-</p>
<p>Or, Aang struggles with the news that he is the Avatar and Gyatso helps him.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Originally requested by the-last-cuddlebender on Tumblr.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Aang did not know what to do, what to say, how to act. Everything was so different now. He tried to deny it to the Council of Elders, but Monk Tashi had confirmed it when he had declared, “You chose them from among thousands of toys, Aang. The toys you picked were the four Avatar relics. These items belonged to Avatars past. Your own past lives.”</p>
<p>Somehow, Aang knew in his heart, his very spirit, that he was telling the truth. It was as if a bell rang within him, calling out to him. It was as if everything that did not make sense in his life finally did. </p>
<p>Aang had always been connected to the wind, but there were other unexplainable things too. Feelings that only blossomed as he grew up. Sometimes he would wake in a cold sweat on the night of a full moon, or he would arise with the hot rays of the sun. Other times he would find himself barefoot for no other reason than to feel the cool earth beneath his feet as it shifted with every subtle movement. </p>
<p>Yet, none of these things were enough to quell his rising fear and anticipation. He was only twelve. He was supposed to have four more years of uninterrupted childhood. Why did the monks feel the need to tell him of his identity now? He did not feel ready at all. </p>
<p>Aang sighed, leaning on the stone banister that overlooked the courtyards where the elders often meditated. Behind him, a pair of young carefree flying lemurs were playing fetch with a wayward moon peach. A third swooped in to steal it, and Aang almost laughed to himself. He stopped only when he remembered that the monks had suggested that he be more serious in his studies now even though he was a master.</p>
<p>“You’re the Avatar,” Tashi had repeated, stern. “You have no time for games.”</p>
<p>He let the breeze sift through his acolyte robes, frowning into the folds of his sleeves. The soft fabric did nothing to soothe him, and the serenity of the colors of autumn did not calm him. </p>
<p>He heard footsteps, and someone tapped on his shoulder. He did not want to acknowledge whoever it was. “Go away,” he said. He sounded like he was speaking through a thread.</p>
<p>“You want to push away your old master so easily, young one?” inquired the familiar voice of his guardian, Gyatso. </p>
<p>Instead of turning around to meet him, Aang let him come next to him. Gyatso placed his elbows on the same banister, laying his head down on his arms in the same fashion, and mirroring Aang. They looked at each other for a long moment, and Gyatso’s gray eyes seemed to search his. </p>
<p>“It’s not ideal to be by yourself when you feel alone,” Gyatso remarked softly. “You should be with someone who loves you.”</p>
<p>Aang shifted so that his face was hidden within the crook of his elbow. “I don’t want to be with anyone,” he said, words muffled. </p>
<p>“It’s perfectly acceptable to want spend some time with your thoughts,” Gyatso agreed. “But I wonder if this is really what you want.”  </p>
<p>Aang did not bother to answer. Nothing else seemed to churn inside him besides the overwhelming responsibility of the world being thrust upon his shoulders. He did not have time to have fun, to be himself, to know what it meant to be the Avatar. </p>
<p>Two words broke the heavy silence. “Come here,” whispered Gyatso. There was a ruffle of cloth.</p>
<p>Aang glanced upward to see his guardian with open arms. He did not know if he should move, and he hesitated. It was the kind quirk of Gyatso’s lips that eventually made the decision for him. It was familiar and warm. A porcelain cup of butter tea next to a burning hearth. </p>
<p>His body moved on its own and he found himself in Gyatso’s embrace. He was clutched tight to his chest like a small child after he had bruised himself. </p>
<p>“No matter what,” Gyatso murmured next to his ear, “there should always be someone who loves you by your side. The journey of any Avatar is never meant to be made alone. That is why your every life has been human—why you are human.”</p>
<p>“I’m scared,” muttered Aang. He was almost unsure if he had spoken.</p>
<p>“Ah, but that just means I can take some of the burden from you, and then you will be less scared.”</p>
<p>There were still things Aang did not understand and did not want to do. But this at least was something that would never change: When he pictured safety, he saw Gyatso.</p>
<p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Good Friends</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Prompt: for prompts, could you write a toph &amp; aang friendship fic ? maybe during canon toph &amp; aang resolve their conflict after losing appa, idk something like that ? if you want, that is.</p><p>-</p><p>Toph did not startle easily. Sure, she had to pretend to startle growing up. (She was blind after all and had a secret to keep from her overcontrolling parents.) But there was never a true time she could recall when she was surprised. At least, not since before she learned how to see through earthbending from her friends, the badgermoles. </p><p>She and Sokka waited hours for Aang and Katara to come back. Sokka, in a strange mix of puff-chested confidence and creative excitement, had volunteered to draw pictures of Appa.</p><p>-</p><p>Or, Toph gets the talk with Aang she did not know she needed.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Originally requested by an anonymous user on Tumblr. This is a semi-companion piece to Blindsight.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Toph did not startle easily. Sure, she had to <em>pretend </em>to startle growing up. (She was blind after all and had a secret to keep from her overcontrolling parents.) But there was never a true time she could recall when she was surprised. At least, not since before she learned how to see through earthbending from her friends, the badgermoles. </p><p>She and Sokka waited hours for Aang and Katara to come back. Sokka, in a strange mix of puff-chested confidence and creative excitement, had volunteered to draw pictures of Appa.</p><p>“It looks just like him to me!” she had exclaimed with a mocking tone. Too bad Sokka was a bit slow on the uptake, because maybe it would have been a lot more hilarious if he did not take what seemed to be an hour to get the joke. </p><p>“Thank you, I worked really<em>—</em>” he started and cut himself off. She had to stifle a laugh. “Why do you feel the need to do that?” he deadpanned. </p><p>Katara had suggested that they stick with the professional version, and Toph had no idea what that meant, but she was inclined to agree based on Sokka’s lame excuses for haikus alone. </p><p>A few minutes later, she and the others were out on the streets of Ba Sing Se pasting posters of what she supposed was Appa on walls. She was not sure if the stuffy fuddy-duddy citizens of the Upper Ring would say about them because she knew how the upper-class worked. In other words, she had a feeling in her gut that the posters would be thrown out with the trash to a place where they could not find them. </p><p>“Excess filth,” she remembered her mother calling the litter that would rarely cross their paths. “A disgrace that these common folks trash our roads.” Toph shuddered at the pompous attitude both her parents would exude when they said things like this, especially since she quite liked the dirt.</p><p>For most of the time she had been close to Sokka who had tried to stick the pictures in prominent places, namely restaurants. She groaned when they stopped by yet another noodle stand. This time in the business district of the Middle Ring. </p><p>She heard Katara argue with her brother, saying that he had to diversify his haunts. (“Sokka, there are other places! You cannot keep wasting our money on snacks at every stop! Try the university, maybe?”) Needless to say, that meant that the Water Tribe siblings were off to another stop while she and Aang split off to continue their good work.</p><p>This is where she got startled. It had been silent for most of the walk through the Middle Ring. They had started to make their way to the Lower Ring, a place Toph thought would be a better place to put up flyers anyway. She had observed that when you did not have to worry about dislodging the silver spoon shoved so far inside your mouth that you might as well choke on it, you became more observant to other people’s troubles. </p><p>She and Aang had paused near what she could feel was a dried up well. She held a glue pot in her arms, waiting for him to make a move.</p><p>“I wanted to say thank you, Toph,” said Aang, breaking the quiet. </p><p>She felt herself blinking, stunned. She had thought that she had made her peace with the guilt of losing Appa, but for some reason she knew where this was going.</p><p>“You came up with the idea of making these flyers,” continued Aang. “I really appreciate it.”</p><p>Toph cleared her throat, standing a little straighter. “Don’t mention it, Twinkle Toes,” she replied. She ignored the feeling of nervousness that bothered her. She did not want to acknowledge it.</p><p>He stepped toward the well, and Toph thought that maybe he was done. She did not want to admit that she jumped when she felt his hand on her shoulder. “I also wanted to say I’m sorry for yelling at you before...in the desert,” he sighed. “I was being a jerk. I know you did all you could to save us and Appa.” </p><p>Toph lowered her head, hoping that whatever look she had on her face was hidden. She knew that people looked at those kinds of things. </p><p>“You really are a good friend,” he finished. She could hear the smile in his voice. It was sweet, and just that much more sickening. She could not handle emotions.</p><p>She could feel her cheeks heating up like the sun sinking into the sand in the desert they had escaped. Instead of saying anything in return, Toph punched him in the arm. Hard. </p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Hot and Bothered</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Prompt: For the ficlet prompts, during "Sokka's Master" Aang and Katara begin flirting subtly around Toph (non-verbally) out of boredom as they wait for Sokka to come back. They get carried away with it though to where Toph calls them out on it and makes fun of them.</p>
<p>-</p>
<p>She was willing to bet that she was about to puke up her entire lunch. Toph could feel the upchuck spurning at the base of her stomach, gurgling in a steaming liquid bile. She was not physically sick, no. But she might as well be if she had to keep feeling Aang and Katara being unbearably gross around each other. </p>
<p>-</p>
<p>Or, Toph suffers through Aang and Katara flirting with each other when Sokka is away,</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Originally requested by an anonymous user on Tumblr.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>She was willing to bet that she was about to puke up her entire lunch. Toph could feel the upchuck spurning at the base of her stomach, gurgling in a steaming liquid bile. She was not physically sick, no. But she might as well be if she had to keep feeling Aang and Katara being unbearably gross around each other. </p>
<p>She knew that those two had a thing for each other ever since she joined their little group, but she never guessed that it would take Sokka leaving them alone to their own devices for them to be completely out about it. Maybe she should have guessed. After all, Sokka was Katara’s older brother, and spirits knew how awkward that must be for a sibling to witness. </p>
<p>Toph was an only child, not dumb.</p>
<p>It probably had to do with the fact that since settling into life as cave people undercover in the Fire Nation, they all had to shed much of their usual clothing. It was hot, and annoying, but she kind of enjoyed the feeling of sweat pooling in her armpits. Only because it was better than sweat sticking to the fabric of her clothes. Her sleeveless top was already drenched. Obviously, this was not much better.</p>
<p>Aang nudged Katara’s shoulder when she giggled at something. Was it his face? Or was it the fact that Aang was shirtless and Toph could feel the heartbeat from Katara’s end. Since he took off his suit top to cool off, her heart had been erratic. </p>
<p><em>Hormones, huh? </em>she wondered</p>
<p>Katara was twirling her hair. Momo squeaked angrily from his perch on her lap, forcing him to leap away to another spot near a bush. Toph groaned.</p>
<p>“This is painful,” she murmured under her breath. She pressed her hand to her forehead, hoping to distract herself with some other texture on her bare skin. </p>
<p>When Katara leaned closer to Aang’s face, teasing him with some sort of stupid kiss to the cheek, Toph realized what was happening. </p>
<p>Yes, she was going to hurl in a few seconds. These two idiots were <em>flirting. </em></p>
<p><em>I wish Xin Fu and Master Yu kidnapped me, </em>she thought as she tried to drown out her friends by lifting her feet off the ground. <em>Actually, I want them to kidnap me right now. </em></p>
<p>They were holding hands, inching closer. Did Katara really just giggle <em>again? </em></p>
<p>She could not take it. “You know, you two better be going out, or Sokka is going to be mad,” she called from the other side of the makeshift camp. “In fact, I hope Aang is preparing a proposal soon.”</p>
<p>She snickered when the two of them leapt apart and sputtered at the same time. She could not get enough of this, at least.</p>
<p>“Not subtle, guys,” she grinned. “Especially you, Sugar Queen. Who knew you could kiss and tell?”</p>
<p>She could bask in their embarrassment for days if she wanted to. Too bad she had to deal with Sokka coming back, because then she would have to play innocent bystander in Aang and Katara’s blossoming lovey-dovey stupidity. If there was one thing that was more entertaining, it was daydreaming about what Sokka’s reaction would be like when he found out his little sister was flirting with one of his best friends.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Yellow Butterfly</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Prompt: How about something cultural? I love how you've added bits of your upbringing to your stories, so if you can think of something that combines the two, I think that'd be neat!</p><p>-</p><p>He had grown up in peacetime, surrounded by fantastical myths at bedtime, hopes for dramatic journeys, and a thrilling sense of the future. As a child, Gyatso had told him many stories that got his imagination going.</p><p>-</p><p>Or, when the war ends, Aang talks to a little girl while waiting for the soldiers to come home.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Originally requested by PureForestGuardian as a comment on Under the Stars, the first ficlet in this collection.</p><p>I know this is a little different from what you asked, but this particular story couldn't leave my head and it fit at least half your request!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Aang did not grow up in a time of war. It was talked about in history books and cautionary tales he had heard from the elders. There had been no major conflicts in the time of Avatar Roku besides minor skirmishes and spiritual battles. The last time there had been a war was when Avatar Kyoshi had been around, and Chin the Conqueror made his mark on the Earth Kingdom continent.</p><p>He had grown up in peacetime, surrounded by fantastical myths at bedtime, hopes for dramatic journeys, and a thrilling sense of the future. As a child, Gyatso had told him many stories that got his imagination going. He had a favorite...the one about the giant that lived in the banyan tree and smoked a pipe. It was not an unfriendly giant, but rather one that was simply a prankster. He said that if he were not careful and he wandered the forests by himself at night, this tree giant’s sweet-smelling smoke would lead him astray. Sometimes, it might even talk to him.</p><p>Aang had been sure that this story was meant to scare most children from going alone when he heard it at the age of five, but it fascinated him. Being the daring child he was, Aang had gone into the forests at the base of the Southern Air Temple that night to search for one. He had wanted to befriend it. </p><p>Of course, Gyatso was furious when he had found out. (“What were you thinking? You could have been hurt!”) Aang had been thoroughly lectured and was punished with a week of an absence of Pai Sho games, but Aang never regretted it. He learned his lesson, yet the stomach-flipping excitement of the open world spurned him on. </p><p>Even now when he was older and it was over a century later, he thought of that story with fond memories. It had been a comfort, albeit a strange one. Proof to him that childhood represented the adventure he had desired. But, when once it might have been his favorite, there was another that he had come to appreciate more than the others. </p><p>He thought of that small, tiny tale as he glanced at the little girl. Not a full oral tradition, but maybe something that might have been true. After all, the Air Nomads believed in rebirth.</p><p>“What are you thinking?” came Zuko’s voice just in front of him. He sounded full of trepidation. “You’ve been spacing out ever since the soldiers started getting off the ships.”</p><p>“Huh?” asked Aang. He looked back at his friend. The flame-shaped crown on his head was shiny, newly cleaned. Zuko had been Fire Lord for a month. </p><p>“You’re staring at that girl,” Zuko explained, frowning. </p><p>“Oh,” said Aang, blinking. “I’ll be right back.” </p><p>He turned away, making his way to the same little girl that had his attention for so long. She was alone, legs curled into her chest. She sat at the end of the dock. Fire Nation soldiers that had started to return home weaved around her. They had gotten the order once the Hundred Year War had ended, but there were many people that needed to get the message. </p><p>He saw the girl who was small and unassuming, her black hair falling all over her narrow face. Tears tracked on her cheeks. He knew at that moment the reality of what had happened. It was hard when Aang could not save someone, more so for the Avatar.</p><p>He crouched near to her, careful not to startle her. He wanted to be at her level. “Hey,” he said, voice soft. “You shouldn’t be here alone.” </p><p>She looked up, eyes weary. They were dark amber and must have once been bright. “You’re the Avatar,” she whispered. </p><p>He nodded. “I can help you find someone, if you need to,” he continued, then hesitated. “Do you need me to?”</p><p>There was a pause. The girl bit her lip. not bothering to wipe her face. Her voice trembled when she spoke again. “My brother didn’t come home,” she said. “I don’t have anyone else.”</p><p>Aang did not grow up in a time of war. He had grown up in peacetime, and until he had emerged from the iceberg, that was all he knew. Until then, he thought that stories of tree giants gave him comfort because he could look for them if he wanted. But it was not the story that he needed.</p><p>He was careful to have her attention on his face. “Come with me,” he offered. “I’ll find you someone.” He gave her his hand, and when she took it, he felt like he was the smaller child.</p><p>A yellow butterfly fluttered from the heavens and into their faces. Aang smiled. He eyed Zuko on the other side of the dock and knew what he had to do. </p><p>“Your brother did come home,” he said. When she gave him an odd look, his smile remained. “There’s this story my guardian used to tell me...Whenever you see a butterfly, that’s the spirit of your loved one telling you that they’re still there.” </p><p>The butterfly made a spin, a twirl, and for whatever reason, landed on the little girl’s nose. She startled and let out a surprised giggle. </p><p>He kept her hand in his, leading her to Zuko. There would be a family that could take her, he was sure of it. He had to be, because even before the war, he knew what hope was. </p><p>He let go of her hand, and Zuko took the reins, bending low to meet her halfway. Another butterfly<em>—</em>a white one<em>—</em>spun into view. Another friend, another life. Aang had a feeling he knew who it was.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>The stories Aang references are based in real-life Filipino tales. The tree giant is called a kapre, a giant who smokes a giant pipe and gets travelers confused with the smoke. </p><p>The second tale about the butterfly is one my mom used to tell me a lot. She said that butterflies are the souls of our loved ones and relatives we lost, and sometimes they like to visit us.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. Firelight</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Prompt: Can you do prompt #50 “people are staring” for kataang?</p><p>-</p><p>They were holding hands. That was innocent enough. In fact, there was nothing inherently wrong with it at all. It was a perfectly normal thing to do with someone that you were with...when you were together with them. When you were a couple. </p><p>-</p><p>Or, Aang and Katara go on their first date.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Originally requested by an anonymous user on Tumblr.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>They were holding hands. That was innocent enough. In fact, there was nothing inherently wrong with it at all. It was a perfectly normal thing to do with someone that you were with...when you were together with them. When you were a couple. </p><p>The thing was, they were not a normal couple to say the least. Katara knew this. Really, she should have known. Why? Well, for one she was Master Katara of the Southern Water Tribe. She was renowned for feats like being the first combat trained female waterbender in the Northern Water Tribe, for being the “Mighty Katara” that fought countless battles in the Hundred Year War. Most recently, she became known as the person who had defeated the infamous Princess Azula. </p><p>Perhaps the cherry on top should have been the fact that she was walking in public on her first official date. She was nervous, her palms were sweaty, her could feel the way butterflies fluttered in uncomfortable twirls in the pit of her stomach. She should not have been so anxious. After all, she was with her best friend.</p><p>Maybe she should have remembered that she was not the only well-known individual on this date. She was holding hands with the Avatar. </p><p>She glanced over at Aang. He held her hand as if he had been doing it his whole life. That alone should have given her the confidence boost she needed.</p><p>Aang’s eyes were bright, the smile on his face soft. He did not hold onto her too tightly, and it just was so natural the way he guided her along. He had asked her yesterday evening, just days after the two of them had figured out what they meant to each other on that balcony in front of the Jasmine Dragon. </p><p>At first, Aang flushed red, rubbing the back of his head. “So, um,” he started as they had dinner that night, “how do you feel about an...activity together?”</p><p>Katara had giggled. She tried not to choke on the bok choy she was chewing. “An ‘activity together’?” she asked, holding down a smile. “Did you learn that from Sokka?” </p><p>Aang blinked, grinning to himself. “Yeah,” he agreed. “I might have asked him for advice.”</p><p>“You asked my <em>brother </em>for advice on how to ask for a date with his little sister?” she wondered, surprised. She laughed. “Somehow, I really appreciate that.” </p><p>He had looked at her, all nervousness gone from his demeanor. He leaned in, earnest, gentle. “Are you okay with it? Tomorrow? At sunset?”</p><p>She had said yes. How could she not? This was just the beginning of their relationship. She and Aang had already known that there was more between them than just friendship. Though, their friendship was what started it all. </p><p>Suki had helped her with her makeup. She weaved a flower in her hair and wore a nicer blue Water Tribe dress. She would not forget the look on Aang’s face when he saw her, and she him. He had opted for a crisp, but more informal version of his Air Nomad robes. There were less layers, and the sash from his off-the-shoulder robes looked like it had been sewn onto a tunic. </p><p>She liked it. He looked handsome. </p><p>Still, the fact that they were together walking the streets of the Middle Ring of Ba Sing Se did not stop people from watching them. The idea of the date had been simple, and simple was what they needed. He told her they would go on a walk, just the two of them. They would wander around the city, stopping by stalls and trying new food. He wanted to take her to the Lower Ring where there was something called the Firelight Fountain. Zuko had apparently told him about it.</p><p>Aang had bought them a cup of sweet silky tofu and sago pearls from a hawker. It was the dessert that they ended their meal with. They each had a disposable wooden spoon, scooping into the custard-like concoction with grins on their faces. </p><p>They were on the edge of the Middle Ring and could cross the gate into the Lower Ring. The stares increased, and Katara felt more on edge. She bit her lip, trying to ignore them. Aang seemed to notice.</p><p>“What’s wrong?” he inquired, worry settling onto his features. He held the empty cup in his other hand. He continued to hold hers. “Are you okay?”</p><p>She appreciated that he checked on her, but she did not want him to think that this was his fault. “People are staring,” she said, looking him in the eyes. </p><p>He glanced around, seeing what she had. It seemed like he had not seen them. He turned back to her as they passed a dingy street. The lamplight made his profile glow orange. “Don’t worry about them,” he said. “It’s just you and me right now.”</p><p>The same words he had told her before. The same words that let her dance with him months ago in the Fire Nation.</p><p>“But<em>—</em>” </p><p>“We’re almost there, Katara,” he offered. “I promise you’ll like it.” </p><p>“Okay,” she agreed. She remembered the kind feel of his fingers entwined with hers. He was reassuring her. </p><p>When they arrived at the Firelight Fountain, the candles were unlit. Aang finally let go of her hand to set himself in a confident stance and flicked his hands in deft movements until tiny bursts of flame shot from his fingertips. The lamps were lit, and they stood in a field of stars.</p><p>Katara forgot that there were other couples and families that had stepped out of their homes and shops to see what was going on. Time stopped, and she did not care that people were staring. Not when she was dancing with him.</p><p>The cobblestones were sleek with water that had splashed from the fountain. The circles of light reflected on their surfaces. The sun’s rays were a line on the horizon, and all they could see was each other. </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Note: The sweet tofu and sago pearls dessert is a Filipino street food called taho.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0010"><h2>10. Icefall</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Prompt: 32 ("You could have died.") for the dialogue prompts pleaseee</p><p>-</p><p>She thought she could see herself move in slow-motion. Was it a dream, or was it a nightmare? </p><p>She could see it, the way that the avalanche started to rumble in Agna Qel'a in the Northern Water Tribe, how the waterbending assassin took advantage of the fact that Aang was distracted with protecting the citizens by singlehandedly controlling the snow that came crashing down on them. </p><p>-</p><p>Or, Katara saves Aang from an assassin.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Originally requested by an anonymous user on Tumblr.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>She thought she could see herself move in slow-motion. Was it a dream, or was it a nightmare? </p><p>She could see it, the way that the avalanche started to rumble in Agna Qel'a in the Northern Water Tribe, how the waterbending assassin took advantage of the fact that Aang was distracted with protecting the citizens by singlehandedly controlling the snow that came crashing down on them. </p><p>Katara saw him. He was a dissenter, an angry military man who had been against the way the war ended. Commander Siku. He wanted the Fire Lord dead, and not just Ozai. He wanted Zuko and Iroh executed for their crimes, crimes that had been long forgiven with their actions against their own nation. Not only did he want them executed, but he also wanted it done publicly. He wanted the Fire Nation utterly decimated, the people put under the rule of the other two remaining nations. </p><p>There were other people that agreed that the war ended too peacefully, but few were as radical as Siku. No one wanted to turn the results of the war on their head, taking the land of the Fire Nation away from their people like the Fire Nation had tried to do to the rest of the world.</p><p>Siku wanted a new order, and so, he wanted a Water Tribe Avatar to take the lead. He wanted Avatar Aang dead. </p><p>Katara had seen him move ever so slightly. Aang could have taken him easily if it were not for the avalanche. The wall of ice thundered through the ground; the sound covered by the snow shredding down into the city. It was sharp, powerful. Katara did not have enough time to save Aang and herself. She could not push him out of the way for fear of breaking his concentration and redirecting the icefall.</p><p>Instead, she stood her ground. She could only block so much. She had been on the other side of the plaza. She needed to make sure Aang was safe, and just in case she could not do it with her bending, she would do it with herself. </p><p>The ice had slammed into her, and Katara could not remember anything after that.</p><p>Everything was black, frozen, cold. When Katara opened her eyes, things were fuzzy too. She could see blots, shadows. They floated upon blues and whites, blurring her vision further. </p><p>Her head throbbed; her mouth tasted like copper. She lifted a hand to her temple, groaning. An orange shape came into her view, and then everything solidified. She met the worried gaze of Aang. She could see the edges of the scruff of his growing beard. When she tried to sit up, he pressed her down. His hands were gentle but insistent.</p><p>“Don’t get up,” he whispered. “You need to rest.”</p><p>She reached for him with both hands. “Aang,” she murmured. She sounded like she was under water. </p><p>She could hear the sound of a stool being pulled up. He sat next to her, taking both of her hands in his. “I’m here,” he said, voice as warm as a wool blanket. </p><p>“Don’t leave me,” she said. “You can’t. I have to keep you safe.” </p><p>His hold on her hands tightened. “I won’t leave you,” he replied. He paused to let go and brush a strand of hair from her face. “Why did you do that, Katara?”</p><p>She blinked at him groggily, tugging at his sleeve. “Do what?” she asked. There was cotton in her throat. </p><p>He was quiet when he answered, and she thought his words wavered on a thread. “Jump in front of me,” he spoke after a pause. </p><p>Katara looked at him, really looked at him. She saw the lines under his eyes, the purple bruises there. His clothes were disheveled. The healer’s hut she was in was dark except for a few candles that had been lit. It must have been hours, if not days. </p><p>She cupped his cheek. “You’re important to me,” she said without hesitation. </p><p>He pressed his face into the palm of her hand. “You could have died,” he said. “You’re important to me too. I can’t lose you, especially not like that...not when you’re trying to save me.” </p><p>She let him come closer to her, and she pulled him so close that she could feel his breath mixing with hers. “I couldn’t let you die either,” she muttered, lips brushing on his. She kissed him, and he softened. </p><p>He pressed his forehead to hers, and he had such a devastated look that she wanted to push it away with her hands. “I’m here,” Katara said, smiling. She knew what he was feeling. She had felt it too. It was the kind of helplessness someone felt when they could not do anything for someone they loved. But the difference was that they had each other.</p><p>“That’s what we do,” she continued, keeping her smile, “we save each other.”</p><p>Katara could not promise that she would never do it again, and she would not ask for Aang to promise the same. She knew it would be unfair for both of them. Instead, she asked for his presence, and he for hers. That was all they needed to move forward. </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0011"><h2>11. A Hundred Years</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>There was something to be said about the nature of now. There was no future without the present, no present without the past. It was something said and learned, a fickle thing like the breaths from his lips and the goosebumps on a winter day. </p>
<p>Like always, he held her hand through it all. He never let go, and he never would. Not through the hard times, the good times. Not through the promises they had made each other in wartime and peacetime. He had her when their three children were born to them. Had her when their youngest, Tenzin, had his own. </p>
<p>-</p>
<p>Or, Aang learns to live without Katara.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Inspired by penguinsledder's (AKA oreocheesecakes)  post on Tumblr - My evil thought for the day: AU where Katara died first and Aang is a widow 🤔🤔🤔</p>
<p>Or, the widower AU you didn't know you wanted.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>There was something to be said about the nature of now. There was no future without the present, no present without the past. It was something said and learned, a fickle thing like the breaths from his lips and the goosebumps on a winter day. </p>
<p>Like always, he held her hand through it all. He never let go, and he never would. Not through the hard times, the good times. Not through the promises they had made each other in wartime and peacetime. He had her when their three children were born to them. Had her when their youngest, Tenzin, had his own. </p>
<p>“Aang,” she whispered from beside him, her eyes blue and bright in the dimming lamplight. There were stars dotting her skin, moonbeams rising on the planes of her cheeks. “I’m tired.”</p>
<p>She was old, and so was he. At one-hundred and fourteen, Katara was still as radiant as the day he had met her. He had joked that she caught up to him in age, even though he technically had a century on her from his days trapped in the iceberg. But as like from anything else, she was there to free him. </p>
<p>“I know,” he said back, turning to face her. He pressed his lips to her wrinkled forehead. Her white tresses cascaded around her shoulders, snow blanketing the valleys of her. </p>
<p>Aang knew what she had meant, had known it from the moment she uttered the words. She had been slowing down, struggling to catch up with him as he climbed grassy knolls and trekked carefully on the beaches of Air Temple Island. </p>
<p>That night, he thought of the soft way she said his name, how she loved him and he her. It was impossible to remember what it was like before that kind of love, but it was not impossible to know what it was like to live without her. </p>
<p>He had opened his eyes that next morning, a gray mist crowding the windowpane. She was cold at his side, a smile quirking her lips, her hand on his. He did not cry out, did not blubber with tears. He did not move from his spot next to her, and he stared at the ceiling with clouded eyes.</p>
<p>It was Jinora that found him hours later, her hands covering her mouth in shock. She was the emotion he never allowed himself to have. He almost felt horribly. She had just given birth to his and Katara’s third great-grandchild the day previously. He should have known. Aunt Wu’s words echoed in his head.</p>
<p>Aang barely registered Tenzin moving him to sit, could not fathom that the acolytes had come into the room to cover the body. He was alone with his family for days on end, and the world was quiet for once. They did not ask for their Avatar, not when he could not remember who he was.</p>
<p>Part of Aang was grateful that Sokka and Toph were not around anymore to see this. He was happy that Zuko and Mai were gone too. It was hard enough to lose them, but at least he could spare them this.</p>
<p>His children were elders themselves, and he was a relic of a time centuries gone. </p>
<p>He forced himself to move forward. Years passed. He loved his grandchildren and great-grandchildren. He played with them on the grassy knolls that Katara could no longer climb, and the beaches that she could no longer trek. </p>
<p>“I love you great-grandpa,” little Ehan said. He hugged him around the middle.</p>
<p>And when Aang smiled, he felt it reach his eyes for the first time in over a decade. </p>
<p>“I love you too,” Aang replied.</p>
<p>Somehow, he should have known it would be like this. He still had energy in him that even the oldest men and women did not have anymore. It was the burden of the Avatar, after all, to outlive the rest of the world. </p>
<p>When he lived another hundred years, he watched even his great-grandchildren have their own children. It was long enough then, that one of his descendants told him, “I’d like to name her Katara.” </p>
<p>After all, a person with a thousand lifetimes knew that there was more than one way to die. He would never let Katara go through that. He would always let the world remember her.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0012"><h2>12. Seeing You for the First Time Again</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Prompt: i know you’re drowning in ficlet prompts and other masterpieces waiting to be written but i will wait patiently for the day a sick!katara with aang taking care of her ficlet gets posted to ao3🥺💓</p>
<p>-</p>
<p>Aang should have known better than to brave the elements. The last time they had traveled through curtains of rain had resulted in Katara and Sokka becoming delusional as a result of high fevers, and a botched trip through a pond on a search for frozen frogs. Aang himself supposed his Air Nomad roots made him significantly less susceptible to getting sick because of the rain, but he wished he could say the same for Katara.</p>
<p>-</p>
<p>Or, Aang takes care of a feverish and delirious Katara.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Originally requested by an anonymous user on Tumblr.</p>
<p>Partially inspired by the video "Man Coming Out of Surgery Sees Wife As If For First Time" on YouTube.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>There was a thunderstorm last night, and Aang and Katara had an urgent call to Cranefish Town when there was a trade dispute that was quickly turning brutal. They were to return from Gaoling where they were trying to convince the wealthy nobles settled there to assist in donating their gold for the reconstruction of outer Western Earth Kingdom towns that had been destroyed during the war.</p>
<p>Of course, the Beifongs did not need any convincing especially since their interests were now in Cranefish Town itself where old Fire Nation colonies combined to begin creating a fast-growing bustling city. On one hand it was a helpful thing indeed to have arguably the most well-off family in the Earth Kingdom besides the royal family’s line on the Avatar’s side, but it was frustrating when the others failed to see the significance in sharing their help in rebuilding the world. </p>
<p>“It’s been three years since you won the war for us, Avatar!” one haughty noble had spat across his ornate lacquered table, “Shouldn’t those people have their homes revitalized yet?”</p>
<p>Aang wanted to bang his head against a wall, and Katara was not much better. In fact, Aang had to hold her back from shouting about their ignorance to their faces. (“There are people suffering out there and these people just don’t understand!”) Aang agreed, but he bore the curse of having to be diplomatic about it.</p>
<p>In the end what convinced them had not been the reward for doing good for the world, but the Beifong’s<em>—</em>namely Toph’s<em>—</em>offer of letting them in on the trade efforts in Cranefish Town to earn the money back. It was sleazy, Aang had to admit, but Toph reasoned that it would help with the economy on multiple fronts at least. </p>
<p>Aang and Katara had decided to spend the evening out for a walk in Gaoling, exploring the marketplace in a way that they had not gotten to when they first visited as a kind of outing for themselves. It was exhausting to deal with the politics of anything. Toph was working on reconciling with her mother and had a decent start after reconnecting with her father all those months ago. She opted to stay in to talk and hopefully continue bonding. </p>
<p>Aang had been in a good mood, offering Katara a white and blue pansy he had picked from the side of the road with a little bow and a twirl of the stem. She giggled at his antics, taking his hand as they made their way down to a stone fountain where lotus flowers floated upon the waters.</p>
<p>The sun had just set when a messenger in formal wear came sprinting out of seemingly nowhere, yelling for Aang. That brought them to the present moment where Aang sighed over a feverish Katara two days after they had flown on Appa through a cold storm, soaked to the bone, and barely caught up to Cranefish Town’s port to stop a violent insurrection against the business council over machinery tariffs. </p>
<p>Aang should have known better than to brave the elements. The last time they had traveled through curtains of rain had resulted in Katara and Sokka becoming delusional as a result of high fevers, and a botched trip through a pond on a search for frozen frogs. Aang himself supposed his Air Nomad roots made him significantly less susceptible to getting sick because of the rain, but he wished he could say the same for Katara.</p>
<p>She was hot to the touch, a furnace under his cool palms. She leaned into him, muttering something unintelligible that might have mentioned penguin sledding with him. He chuckled at that.</p>
<p>“You just rest,” he whispered, as he wrung out another towel to place on her forehead. When he set it down, her eyes opened.</p>
<p>“What are you doing here?” she asked, words slurred. Her eyes were brighter than normal, bluer. She stopped to blink slowly as if observing him. “Wow. You’re so handsome.”</p>
<p>Aang snorted.</p>
<p>“Did the healer send you?” she questioned, pressing her forehead to his hand again. </p>
<p>“I’m afraid I’m your healer today, Katara,” he laughed. “I’m Aang, by the way. Do you remember me?”</p>
<p>“Aang,” she repeated. “Wow...even your name sounds nice.” She paused again, and for a brief moment Aang thought she was about to fall back asleep. “Do you want to go out together sometime?”</p>
<p>At this, Aang laughed so hard that he doubled over. He only straightened when he realized Katara had such a hurt expression on her face that he felt like he deserved to be punished for it. “We’re already together,” he said, grinning. He brushed her damp hair away from her eyes. </p>
<p>Katara looked at him in awe. “Really?” she gasped. “Have we kissed yet?”</p>
<p>Aang turned around, grasping onto a cup of fresh water that was on the bedside table. He helped her to sit up and coaxed her to drink it by placing the lip to her mouth.</p>
<p>When she was done drinking, he tilted forward, brushing his lips against hers. “Yes,” he murmured. </p>
<p>She fell asleep against him, and all Aang could do for the rest of the night as her fever cooled, was smile.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0013"><h2>13. Turtle-Ducking Around</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Prompt: 43 for a dialogue prompt please 😊</p>
<p>Dialogue prompt #43: “Are you drunk?”</p>
<p>-</p>
<p>Sokka was in a panic, and this time it was not his fault. Alright, so it could maybe be considered his fault a little bit. But really, he was not the only one involved in this mess, so it could not be all his fault, could it? </p>
<p>He needed to sort out his priorities because there was no way he was going to live this down. On one hand, he was lugging Zuko down the road in Ba Sing Se that led to the Upper Ring and trying to not get caught by the numerous Dai Li agents or Fire Nation Royal Guards that were sure to be following them. On the other hand, he had Aang dragging Zuko’s other side.</p>
<p>-</p>
<p>Or, Zuko is a lightweight.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Originally requested by coconutsaiyan on Tumblr.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Sokka was in a panic, and this time it was not his fault. Alright, so it could maybe be considered his fault a little bit. But really, he was not the only one involved in this mess, so it could not be <em>all </em>his fault, could it? </p>
<p>He needed to sort out his priorities because there was no way he was going to live this down. On one hand, he was lugging Zuko down the road in Ba Sing Se that led to the Upper Ring and trying to not get caught by the numerous Dai Li agents or Fire Nation Royal Guards that were sure to be following them. On the other hand, he had Aang dragging Zuko’s other side. He counted his lucky stars that he had both Aang and Toph with him to hide their tracks because otherwise they would have been swarmed by prying paparazzi in no time. </p>
<p>“Oh, get a move on Sokka!” Toph hissed through her teeth, earthbending their footprints away and feeling for intruders. “We gotta get His Royal Lightweight over here out of the streets soon!”</p>
<p>“I’m trying, Toph!” replied Sokka, hitching Zuko’s shoulder higher up behind his neck.</p>
<p>Aang huffed on the other side of him. He was trying to cushion their steps and speed them up with bursts of air. “I can feel footsteps!” he grunted. “Toph, if they come too close you need to distract them!”</p>
<p>Sokka struggled to move faster as previously commanded, but the alarm rose in his chest until it was about to boil over. It grew worse when he saw the shadow of Toph saunter away. There was a crack and a grumble and a few concerning screams.</p>
<p>“This is crazy,” he muttered. “I can’t do this.”</p>
<p>“We don’t have a choice!” shot back Aang. He propelled them forward at a quicker rate. They turned a corner behind a building in a back alley. Across from it was a rather tall earthen wall. “This is it!” he exclaimed, hardly out of breath. Sokka envied him for that.</p>
<p>With one arm, Aang moved and pushed into a strong gesture. A discreet opening revealed itself, forming a tunnel through to the Upper Ring and what Sokka hoped was the gardens that led to their temporary apartments. For once in his life, he had fortune on his side. Probably because he did not challenge the universe.</p>
<p>Aang slipped them through, and minutes later came a panting Toph who sealed the wall with a disturbing smirk on her face. </p>
<p>“They won’t be getting out of that for a long while,” she grinned, teeth shining beneath her bangs.</p>
<p>Aang grimaced, finally calm as they made their way to the back porch. “What exactly did you do to them?”</p>
<p>“Let’s just say some of them are looking for their pants,” she replied.</p>
<p>Sokka heaved open the sliding door, stumbling inside, seeking some stable ground and maybe an all-you-can-eat buffet. Zuko swayed in between he and Aang, groaning. </p>
<p>Sokka winced when they were met with the shocked expressions of Katara, Suki, and Mai who looked to be finishing a game of Pai Sho. Mai was standing, observing the match that seemed to be a close one.  </p>
<p>Suddenly, Zuko shot up between them, shoving off Sokka’s and Aang’s arms. “Where is the turtle duck?” he said in a self-important tone. “I need it for the council meeting tomorrow.”</p>
<p>Everyone else stared at him. Sokka slapped a palm to his forehead.</p>
<p>After a second or so of silence, Mai spoke. “Are you <em>drunk?” </em>she sputtered. She shoved herself around the circular table, ignoring the playing chips that were displaced.</p>
<p>“Drunk is a strong word,” placated Sokka, raising his hands. His sister gave him a look. He did not want to test Katara, but he was more afraid of Mai now.</p>
<p>“He’s drunk,” deadpanned Toph.</p>
<p>Both Suki and Katara stood up to join them in their little circle just as Zuko said, “Yes, but the turtle duck.” Aang had the common sense to catch him before he stuck his royal hand into a bowl that held a goldfish. </p>
<p>Mai was not going to let things go so easily, it seemed, because she sent a seething glare in Sokka’s direction that told him exactly what she thought of him. He wanted to ask her why she was not putting the blame on Toph or Aang, but the words were caught in his esophagus and squirmed there like a slimy frog.</p>
<p>“What happened?” she asked, crossing her arms. Suki nodded beside her, raising an eyebrow. She too seemed to linger on Sokka.</p>
<p>Aang cleared his throat, answering for them. “We went out to eat like we told you earlier...and we decided we would try out that famous rice wine that people have been talking about all over the city.”</p>
<p>“Zuko can’t drink alcohol. He can’t even sip it! It turns him into...<em>that,” </em>frowned Mai. “Whose idea was it anyway?”</p>
<p>Aang started, “Well, it was<em>—</em>” </p>
<p>“Sokka’s,” Toph interrupted. He could feel the absolute satisfaction in her response, the chaos she wished to ensue, the evil leer of hers. “What really surprised me was that Twinkle Toes over here actually has a strong stomach. He said the monks exposed them to all kinds of alcohol when they traveled the world or something. Uncharacteristically awesome if you ask me.”</p>
<p>Sokka was in trouble. Not even the spirits could save him.</p>
<p>Aang was the one who told him that it might not be such a good idea to tempt fate, especially when there was a crowd watching. Toph just agreed to whatever he suggested, and Sokka wanted to have a good time. That did not make him the automatic instigator, did it? </p>
<p>“How was I supposed to know that the Fire Lord wouldn’t be able to take one cup of Golden Pagoda?” he exclaimed.</p>
<p>Mai lifted her sleeve and Sokka screeched because he saw the glint of a throwing star. Toph laughed maniacally, and he thought he could hear his sister asking Aang how he stayed sober the whole time. Suki did not bother to lift a finger to help him and he could not help but feel the tiniest bit of betrayal.</p>
<p>He spent the next few minutes running away in terror as Aang tried to convince Zuko that turtle ducks were not the enemy of the state.</p>
<p>Sokka supposed it could have been worse. That was until it was. </p>
<p>“I think I’m going to be sick,” mumbled Zuko, somehow ending up right in front of him. He threw up his entire supper on Sokka’s tunic. </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0014"><h2>14. A Good Day</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Prompt: I hope my fic favor still stands! I was wondering if you could write a Kataang family fic? I've just been in a Kataang family mood lately😂 Thank you for being so sweet to me!!💞💞💞😭😭</p>
<p>-</p>
<p>“Where are we going, daddy? I want to know,” Kya whined as she angled the top half of her body from the outer edge of Appa’s saddle. She was getting impatient, and she was insistent that everyone knew about it.</p>
<p>-</p>
<p>Or, Kya and her family go on a trip.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Originally requested by thatcroissantgurl on Tumblr.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Where are we <em>going, </em>daddy? I want to<em> know,” </em>Kya whined as she angled the top half of her body from the outer edge of Appa’s saddle. She was getting impatient, and she was insistent that everyone knew about it.</p>
<p>The wind was in her face, and her dark hair whipped around like a maelstrom that could not be contained. </p>
<p>She was an entire eight-years-old—practically an <em>adult—</em>and she was not entrusted with all the fun secrets Princess Izumi was. It was an atrocity to be sure. Just because Little Miss Prissy Firebender just so happened to be the Fire Lord’s daughter and older than her by a few years did not mean that Kya was not just as mature.</p>
<p>She heard a sigh come up from the front. The familiar indulgent tenor of her father who was steering their flying bison as they rode on it as a family. “Patience, Kya,” said Aang. “You’ll find out soon.”</p>
<p>“But why do I have to wait?” she moaned, flopping back into the soft middle of the saddle. Next to her, her older brother, Bumi groaned as her arm slapped him in the face.</p>
<p>“It’s our family vacation and your mother and I wanted it to be a surprise,” replied her father. </p>
<p>Her mother hummed in agreement at his side. Katara tilted her head, raising her eyebrow at Kya as she looked her in the eye. “I thought you liked that it was a surprise?” she asked, chucking. “Even Tenzin couldn’t contain his energy, and you know how your brother is. He tired himself out from all his excited airbending.”</p>
<p>Kya rolled her eyes, bringing her attention to the blue of the sky that passed them overheard. “Tenzy’s five. He’s a baby. He’s tired after everything,” she said. “Boom’s a baby too. He’s super tired.”</p>
<p>Bumi stirred, shooting up at her comment. He pouted right into her face. “Hey!” he shouted, sounding every bit as indignant as he probably should have felt.</p>
<p>Aang started laughing. Katara rubbed at her eyes. “This is going to be a long vacation,” she sighed. </p>
<p>Still, none of the bickering prepared Kya for what came next. The air had already begun to feel strange. Wet-like. Humid? She was practically wading through hot soup so high up, and she knew that was peculiar. Republic City might have been a place that sat right next to an ocean, but it never felt quite like this.</p>
<p>Appa roared, and then there was the telltale scent of sea salt. She should have noticed it before, but somehow it was more pronounced wherever they were. There was squirming from little Tenzin at the other end of the saddle, and a yelp from Bumi. Their lemur, Momo chittered a few times too, tail curling in and out like a cat playing with yarn.</p>
<p>“We’re here!” exclaimed Aang, and he flicked his wrists so that the reins steered Appa downward.</p>
<p>“Woah!” yelled Bumi, laughing as they started their decent. The winds were stronger in Kya’s face. “This is amazing, dad! You didn’t tell us we were going to a paradise!”</p>
<p>Blinking, Kya peered over the edge as well. Before her, she saw black sands. Pristine, onyx beaches. A bright azure cove stretched for miles, little dots of people milling about and playing some sort of game with a net. There were red and gold roofs that peppered the island, and emerald grass that swayed on the hills that made it up. </p>
<p>“Welcome to Ember Island!” laughed her dad. “The best place to sort out any problems and also to escape onto the back of a giant lion turtle!”</p>
<p>Katara smacked him on the arm, giggling. “Oh, don’t be so dramatic, Aang!” she teased.</p>
<p>When they landed, it was to alight on a private beach. There was a grand-looking house in the background with a cobbled courtyard. There were panels of rice paper sliding doors that were made to perfection, gold-leaf trim that shone in the sunlight at every corner of the red tiled roofs. Pillars stretched far and wide into various sky wells. </p>
<p>Kya ignored all of it in favor of leaping right into the ocean. </p>
<p>She splashed as soon as she landed, grinning with every turn she made and every spin. It was warm water, but refreshing in such a summery environment. She and her siblings stripped down to their undergarments as soon as her mother yelled at them for getting their clothes wet. She might have had to suffer having a bunch of liquid getting waterbended out of her clothes, but she would try to forget that.</p>
<p>“Water fight!” yelled Bumi, and they were throwing waves at each other. (Not that he had much of an advantage because Kya had maneuvered a rather large bubble of water over his head to annoy him. It did not help that Tenzin sneezed and caused a miniature tsunami that her father had to bend them out of.)</p>
<p>Kya tried to copy Katara and made a lumpy and misshapen surf board. She ended up having to ride behind her father’s legs in order to catch enough traction on a wave. Tenzin was too afraid to hitch a ride, and Bumi took turns between them. </p>
<p>At the end of the day when the sun was low and setting, her mother and father brought them to sit underneath a palm tree on the beach. Kya smiled, watching the painted colors of pink, purple, and yellow drift across the horizon. </p>
<p>“Who wants some fresh watermelon juice?” her mother offered, holding one large melon in each hand. </p>
<p>“Me!” cheered Bumi. Tenzin reluctantly agreed after him.</p>
<p>Katara placed one in Kya’s hands, and Kya spent the next few minutes sipping through the straw. It was sweet and tart at the same time. </p>
<p>“We should do this again sometime,” said Aang, leaning into the mishmash that was the rest of Kya’s crazy family. </p>
<p>Kya perked up at that. “Kyoshi Island? Can we ride the giant kois? <em>Pretty please?”</em></p>
<p>Katara started to protest, but as usual, Aang agreed with an enthusiastic chime. More bickering started, but all Kya could do was sink back into the sand and let her toes work into the grains. </p>
<p>Today was a good day.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0015"><h2>15. Dating Hour</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Prompt: heyy, for the dialogue prompt: Maiko (if its your ship) and “People are staring” if you want</p><p>-</p><p>Zuko thought he was going to melt into the floor. The rush of the market scene in Omashu could not save him, and not even the pleasant sounds of a street performer playing an erhu could not distract him.</p><p>“People are staring,” hummed Mai beside him. Her hands dangled on either side of her. She was dressed in a high-collared, forest green dress that was in the latest Earth Kingdom style straight from the ballrooms of Ba Sing Se. She kept itching at her neck and tugging at the fabric there.</p><p>-</p><p>Or, Zuko and Mai go on a date with unwanted spectators.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Originally requested by axolotl-druk on Tumblr.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Zuko thought he was going to melt into the floor. The rush of the market scene in Omashu could not save him, and not even the pleasant sounds of a street performer playing an erhu could not distract him.</p><p>“People are staring,” hummed Mai beside him. Her hands dangled on either side of her. She was dressed in a high-collared, forest green dress that was in the latest Earth Kingdom style straight from the ballrooms of Ba Sing Se. She kept itching at her neck and tugging at the fabric there.</p><p>Zuko was wearing a conical rice hat to hide his face and was dressed similarly in a distinctly noble-class pair of trousers and a button-up blouse with a collar. The gold trimmings on his sleeves were a bit distracting, and he kept grimacing every time sunlight glinted off of them. He could not fathom how people wore this on a day-to-day basis.</p><p>Mai coughed when a gaggle of young teenagers stared at them wide-eyed. A few of them bowed hastily. “You know, I’m starting to think we stand out,” she remarked. Her lips quirked downward. “Are you sure it’s a good idea for us to be out on this date?”</p><p>‘Date’ was a word for it, definitely. It was more like they were spending time together in this awkward amount of time<em>—</em>two hours and seventeen minutes to be precise<em>—</em>because they had no other allotted time in their busy schedules. Zuko supposed that it had indeed been <em>months </em>since he and Mai last had a true moment alone without the cloud of political drama at their backs. It was a difficult thing being the Fire Lord, and he had only been Fire Lord for about a year and a half.</p><p>Zuko reached for her hand and let their fingers entwine. Normally, it would have enticed an embarrassed reaction from either of them. They did not quite enjoy any public displays of affection, but this had to be an exception because, well<em>—</em></p><p>“We’re in disguise,” he insisted under his breath. “Just act natural.”</p><p>“Is it <em>natural </em>to have an entire street full of people parting for you when you’re just walking?” scoffed Mai, voice just as low. </p><p>Zuko observed a startled kid skittering by after he pulled a ball out of their way. He winced. “Maybe we’re just imagining things?” He knew he did not sound sure.</p><p>Mai sighed as they walked to a stall. The man behind it sputtered when he took their order of two fried squids on barbeque sticks. Zuko knew she would have been ecstatic to finally have food in her belly if not for the man’s insistence that they did not have to pay.</p><p>“We should not have taken fashion advice from Sokka,” groaned Zuko. He slapped the bronze coins on the counter, ignoring the man. “They know who we are.”</p><p>“You think?”</p><p>They made their way to a sitting area near a fountain in a courtyard. There were less people, so it was easier to not be concerned about the mad dash of strangers trying to please them.</p><p>“They’re acting like people do to us normally,” said Zuko, pouting. “When I asked for the right clothes to blend in in Omashu and I asked Toph<em>—”</em></p><p>“Stupid by the way,” Mai said, cutting him off. She smirked and bit into her food, swallowing a bite. </p><p>Zuko frowned. “Sometimes I forget she’s blind!” he insisted. Then, he sighed again. “Sokka butted in because he always does. I trusted him.”</p><p>Mai nodded. “Also stupid,” she added, teasing. She pecked him on the cheek. “But I appreciate the stupidity of your effort.”</p><p>Zuko could not help but grin.</p><p>The sun was still high in the sky when they finished eating. They took a few turns around the market again if only to kill some time and explore. People did not bother to stop gaping at them.</p><p>When it was time to get back to the palace, King Bumi greeted them with enthusiasm.</p><p>“Well, what are two young nobles from Ba Sing Se doing in my court?” he asked, sounding genuinely surprised. His feathered crown was lopsided as he tilted his head.</p><p>Zuko glanced at Mai and back to the kooky king, raising an eyebrow. “What you do you mean?”</p><p>Bumi chortled, his shoulders hunching in with every snort. “I mean what are a pair of the Yum Soon Hans doing here? I would’ve held a feast!”</p><p>Zuko blinked. He untied the strap at his chin and took off his hat. “We’re not...Yum Soon Hans,” he stuttered. </p><p>Bumi gasped dramatically, putting a hand onto his forehead and looking like he was about to faint. “Wow!” he exclaimed. “What a disguise! I wouldn’t have been able to tell that was you under there, Mr. Fire Lord...what with the Earth Kingdom noble outfits you’re wearing! You must’ve turned some heads wearing that on the street!”</p><p>The utter ridiculousness settled in all at once, and Zuko could not help but glower when Mai deadpanned, “You mean to tell me that they thought we were Earth Kingdom nobles, and not me and the Fire Lord?”  </p><p>She looked at Zuko and they nodded in agreement. </p><p>“You thinking what I’m thinking?” asked Mai.</p><p>“Sabotage Sokka’s dinner?” he replied.</p><p>Mai had a look in her eye that Zuko would never forget. “It’s a date.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0016"><h2>16. What We Understand</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Prompt: what about Katara &amp; Appa set during TSR? i have no idea where the thought came from but it's 👀 like there's the softness and caring of Aang sending Appa with her, and just. I've never really thought about what Katara &amp; Appa's relationship would look like</p><p>-</p><p>It was easy enough to secure the reins that curled around Appa's horns. Katara had done it so many times before. There was a certain familiarity to it, an indescribable comfort in the monotony of it all. Almost a year's worth of traveling on the back of a ten ton flying bison, and she considered herself Appa's friend.</p><p>-</p><p>Or, Katara and Appa during "The Southern Raiders".</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Original idea from OceanMyth. </p><p>It's a little long for a ficlet, clocking in at 1159 words, but it's short enough for me!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It was easy enough to secure the reins that curled around Appa's horns. Katara had done it so many times before. There was a certain familiarity to it, an indescribable comfort in the monotony of it all. Almost a year's worth of traveling on the back of a ten ton flying bison, and she considered herself Appa's friend.</p><p>Still, perhaps the way she did things had not been fair. She knew this rationally, but she was too angry to care.</p><p>"So, you were just gonna take Appa anyway?" Aang exclaimed behind her.</p><p>She pushed the rest of her thick hair through the tie until it was looped into a tight enough plait. Katara turned to face him. "Yes," she responded. Her mouth was etched into a scowl. Her hands dropped to her sides.</p><p>She did not want to do this. She did not want to argue with Aang.</p><p>Aang's shoulders slumped, then his whole countenance relaxed. The frustrated fire in his silvery eyes dissipated as soon as it ignited. "It's okay, because I forgive you," he said, eyeing her pointedly. Yet, there was a softness to the way he looked at her. She wanted to ignore it. "That give you any ideas?" He smiled at her.</p><p>But there was nothing to be done. She did not have time to think of other possibilities when <em>that man </em>was out there. "Don't try to stop us," she replied instead of acknowledging what he said.</p><p>She heard him shuffle behind her. She glimpsed Sokka emerging from somewhere else as she kept her expression hard. She pulled herself up onto Appa's head. The great bison groaned.</p><p>"I wasn't planning to," said Aang. "This is a journey you need to take. You need to face this man. But when you do, please don't choose revenge. Let your anger out, and then let it go. Forgive him."</p><p>Zuko sat himself behind her in the empty saddle. "Okay, we'll be sure to do that, guru goody-goody," he retorted, voice dripping with sarcasm.</p><p>Her world shimmered in a throbbing crimson haze. It was ice cold in her veins, a deep-seated hatred that pounded at the back of her head. Yet, even through it all, she saw what Aang was trying to do.</p><p>Her hands gripped onto the reins. She glanced back at Aang who stood there on the ground looking up at her, frowning. He did not break eye contact as she spoke. "Thanks for understanding, Aang," she said, softer now. Then, with a flick of her wrists, she commanded Appa, "Yip-yip."</p><p>Zuko told her about the communication towers. They found one on his word alone. It must have taken hours, but she went through their mission without a moment of hesitation. She waterbended with a deftness that she never thought she could possess, and soon they had the information they needed.</p><p>And then the air was cold. The wind whipped against her face. She did not want to speak with Zuko, not alone. She was seething with the knowledge she possessed now.</p><p>A darker night settled in when she was not looking, and the two of them had not spoken the entire time. The moon was almost full as it rose and cast a silvery-white light on the ocean waves below.</p><p>Zuko was asleep, but to Katara, her exhaustion was an annoyance.</p><p>She was left to her own thoughts. The only constant was the way Appa's fur was soft against her thighs. She could feel it through the fabric of her pants. The beast was quiet, unnaturally so. There was a stillness about them that eluded the rage that fueled her.</p><p>In it<strong><em>—</em></strong>the quiet, she saw the stars as they twinkled above her. Decidedly less harsh than she would like them to be, so much softer a glow than the firestorm of her desire to <em>hurt that man for killing her mother.</em></p><p>Appa made a keening noise that brought her back to some semblance of reality. She glanced down and saw that he was reacting to the way she was tugging at the ropes. Her fingernails made crescents on her palms. She was gritting her teeth.</p><p>Appa moaned again, and he tilted his head up just a little as if to get her attention. She saw one of his eyes glance back at her before moving his gaze back to the expanse below.</p><p>However, she saw what was there. The worry, the concern. It was as if he was reminding her that he was there, that they were friends. And did she not just think not too long ago that they were?</p><p>"Sorry, Appa," Katara whispered.</p><p>He let out another sound that sounded resigned, sad. Then suddenly, the moonlight illuminated him as the clouds parted. They were awash in the phosphorescence together, just for a moment. She let her hand fall to Appa's head, and her fingers kneaded through the tangles of his fur.</p><p>The moon was inviting to her, a small comfort. A small thing in the scheme of things. But she was reminded for a second of nights like these when she laid on Appa's back and gazed at the sky. Of evenings when the world was a little calmer in the midst of a war, where Appa was a warmth at her back that guided her. She remembered how he waded through the frigid waters of the north for them, how in Ba Sing Se she held Aang close and stared into a moonless night.</p><p>How in the desert they were without him when he had been stolen.</p><p>The night was emptier back then, more desolate. There was explosive anger in that desert from Aang, a churning devastation, a loss so severe that it was biting. And Aang<strong><em>—</em></strong></p><p>Aang had let her take Appa with her.</p><p>Suddenly, she realized just <em>who </em>was entrusted to her.</p><p>It was not a smile she gave, no. It could only be called a twitch of her lips.</p><p>"I'm sorry I brought you into this," she said. Hushed, gentle. Just for them. Just for her friend who had been through much and had seen her at her lowest. A friend who could not even talk back. "I'll make it up to you."</p><p>Right then, she was not ready to be kind. She was too full of the hate she let consume her. But she was ready to remember the people in her life that cared about her.</p><p>When it was all said and done, when <em>that man </em>was cowering before her under the shards of ice that hovered before him, when he was begging for his disgusting life, when he was <em>pathetic...</em>she stood at the dock at Ember Island and remembered.</p><p>And after she had embraced a new friend, forgiven Zuko for something that he was truly sorry for, she continued to appreciate an old one.</p><p>Appa nuzzled her. For the first time, he only wanted to sleep next to her, and some part of her understood.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0017"><h2>17. Rest</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Prompt: before aang passes away katara is at his bed alone. he worries about leaving her and their family behind, and letting the world down again. katara tells him that they will be okay, that he can finally rest now. he spent his whole life worrying about others and she wants him to be peaceful. it is the truth.</p>
<p>she tells him that she will be okay without him. it is the one thing she tells him that day that she lies about.</p>
<p>-</p>
<p>"I can't leave everyone," Aang rasped out as he sat against the pillows of their bed. "There's still so much I need to do for them."</p>
<p>Katara placed a cool cloth on his face, gently dabbing off the sweat that started to trickle down his neck. It was hard to watch him, her husband who was so strong and energetic, reduced to shivering and frailty. But she never let it show on her face. At least, not in front of Aang.</p>
<p>-</p>
<p>Or, Katara reassures Aang.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>This one is actually my original angsty idea. I wrote this headcanon on Tumblr a while ago and felt the need to write it because I like to suffer I guess. </p>
<p>WARNING: Implied major character death.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"I can't leave everyone," Aang rasped out as he sat against the pillows of their bed. "There's still so much I need to do for them."</p>
<p>Katara placed a cool cloth on his face, gently dabbing off the sweat that started to trickle down his neck. It was hard to watch him, her husband who was so strong and energetic, reduced to shivering and frailty. But she never let it show on her face. At least, not in front of Aang.</p>
<p>"There isn't anything to do sweetie," she whispered so lowly that only he could hear her. "There isn't anything to worry about."</p>
<p>In truth, there would be a lot of things to say and do. She should have known the year previously when Aang gathered the White Lotus to prepare for the next Avatar. "Protect them, whoever they are," he had said. "Now that the world has the Avatar back, people will be looking for them early. They will have a lot of enemies as soon as they're found. There could be others like the Red Lotus."</p>
<p>She should have known when he started to write more and more often to their friends, asking them to meet for things as mundane as tea on Republic City's harbor. She should have known when he carved a new flute for Bumi, crafted a necklace for Kya after years of her begging for a piece of his own handmade jewelry, when he taught Tenzin the burial rites of an Air Nomad.</p>
<p>She should have known when he took her to that balcony in Ba Sing Se in Iroh's old teashop, now owned and run by one of Iroh's most successful apprentices. When he turned to her, gray eyes sparkling in the sunset, and he had said, "Let's just stay here for a while, you and I."</p>
<p>Now all she could think of was how unfair it all was. He was only sixty-six, young especially for an Avatar. He was supposed to outlive her, live as long as Avatar Kysohi maybe to an age that was over a century old.</p>
<p>But the spirits had other ideas, and he was technically one-hundred and sixty-six. He deteriorated too fast for her to heal him, and when she tried spirit water from the oasis in the North Pole, all she could feel was a slight change.</p>
<p>His Avatar Spirit was tired. Tired of keeping him alive in an iceberg for a century.</p>
<p>And she was left to watch as he blamed himself for everything and anything he could not control.</p>
<p>"I'm letting the world down again," he murmured, eyes bright with fever. "They still need me. Our family still needs me. You still need me."</p>
<p>She moved the cloth back to the bowl at the side table where she took it from. Katara sighed, feeling heavy, and she placed both of her hands on his trembling one. The one that rested at the edge of the bed.</p>
<p>"You're not letting any of us down, least of all the world," she replied. She tried not to let him hear the tearfulness in her words. "Our family will be okay without you. You've done so much already. All you have to do now is be at peace...and rest."</p>
<p>Their eyes met, and she smiled for him. Everything she said was the truth. Aang spent his whole life worrying about others and all she wanted for him now was to be peaceful.</p>
<p>She could see the belief, the trust in his eyes.</p>
<p>And the love.</p>
<p>"It's okay, Aang," Katara whispered, voice as soft as she was able to make it. She did not allow the tears to fall. "I'll be okay without you. I promise." She leaned in to kiss him.</p>
<p>Katara decided that she would sit there next to him at his side until the sun went down. Until he closed his eyes. Until she could not bear it anymore. She would sit beside him as she always had, and she would not tell him that she lied about this one thing.</p>
<p>Not this time.</p>
  </div></div>
</body>
</html>